Author: Andrew Rogers

Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly stealing disaster relief funds. Prosecutors say the money was used to support her 2021 congressional campaign. The Department of Justice announced Wednesday that Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, are accused of laundering $5 million from a FEMA contract awarded to their family business. Officials claim a large portion of the funds went directly to the lawmaker’s campaign. In addition, Cherfilus-McCormick is charged with using straw donors. The alleged scheme involved funneling FEMA funds to friends, who then donated to her campaign. She also faces a charge…

President Donald Trump signed legislation this week requiring the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The bill passed both chambers of Congress, but questions remain about whether the Trump administration will fully comply. Some lawmakers, including Republicans, caution that the White House could still delay or limit the release. “The real test will be: Will the Department of Justice release the files?” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky warned of a potential “last-ditch effort” to block disclosure. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the administration would “follow the law,” but offered no assurances about releasing…

Trump attorney and interim U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan revealed in court that the full grand jury never received the final indictment against former FBI director James Comey. Halligan’s admission has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and former government officials, who say it undermines the prosecution’s case and highlights serious incompetence within the Department of Justice. Catherine Christian, legal analyst for MS NOW and former Manhattan assistant district attorney, said the oversight is a “Russian doll of blunders,” pointing to multiple layers of procedural mistakes that could compromise the case. Miles Taylor, former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff…

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will meet New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani Friday in the Oval Office. This will be their first in-person meeting since Mamdani’s election earlier this month. “Communist Mayor of New York City, Zohran ‘Kwame’ Mamdani, has asked for a meeting,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We have agreed that this meeting will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st. Further details to follow!” Dora Pekec, spokesperson for the mayor-elect, confirmed the meeting, noting it is customary for incoming city leaders to meet with the president. She said the discussions will…

The House blocked an effort to formally censure Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Florida and remove him from his committee assignments over allegations involving federal contracting violations, stolen valor, and assault. GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina introduced the censure resolution Wednesday, citing serious accusations against Mills. She submitted it as a privileged resolution, requiring GOP leadership to hold a floor vote within two legislative days. Mills, however, referred the resolution to the House Ethics Committee, effectively stalling it. “All the accusations and false things being said will be proven absolutely false in many ways,” Mills said. “I have…

Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a US-Saudi dual national, is finally returning home after being held in Saudi Arabia for criticizing the Saudi government. His son, Ibrahim Almadi, said the Trump administration played a key role in securing his father’s release. “They really delivered when it comes to my father’s situation. Saudi Arabia is supposed to be an ally, but they’ve been mistreating us for a while. Finally, they are correcting the course for my father,” Ibrahim Almadi told CNN’s Erin Burnett. Saad Almadi had been sentenced to 16 years in 2022 for posting tweets critical of the Saudi government. Although he…

Coffee prices surged on Tuesday as US tariffs continue to curb Brazilian exports. While the Trump administration recently dropped tariffs on commodities not grown in the US, Brazil remains subject to a separate 40% tariff. The US has yet to clarify whether importers are exempt from this levy. Tightening US supplies have also supported prices. ICE-monitored arabica inventories fell to a 1.75-year low of 396,513 bags, while robusta inventories dropped to a four-month low of 5,648 lots. US purchases of Brazilian coffee from August through October fell 52% year-on-year to 983,970 bags after tariffs took effect. Weather in Brazil’s key…

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani reiterated this week that he would honor the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the leader visits the city. Mamdani first announced this stance before winning the mayoral election. Mamdani made his remarks as outgoing Mayor Eric Adams met with Netanyahu and encouraged him to attend Mamdani’s upcoming inauguration. During a live ABC7 appearance, Mamdani described New York as a “city of international law” and said it must uphold ICC 2024 arrest warrants, which accuse Netanyahu of targeting civilians and using starvation as a method of warfare. “I’ve…

An Israeli civilian was killed and three others wounded in a knife and car attack by two Palestinian teenagers in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Israeli authorities said. The incident occurred at the Gush Etzion Junction, a crossroads near a cluster of Israeli settlements on the road south from Jerusalem to Hebron. The Israeli military reported responding to a “ramming and stabbing attack” and said soldiers “eliminated two terrorists at the scene.” Explosive materials were reportedly found in their vehicle. Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency service, said one man died from a stab wound, while a woman and two…

At least 13 people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health confirmed. The drone strike targeted a car in the parking area of a mosque in the Ein el-Hilweh camp near Sidon on Tuesday. Four people were reported wounded, with ambulances transporting more victims to nearby hospitals. Israel said the strike hit members of Hamas operating in a training compound in the refugee camp. Avichay Adraee, Israel’s Arabic-language military spokesperson, stated, “We will continue to act forcefully against Hamas’s attempts to establish a foothold in Lebanon…